Some of the issues this year are:

Aadvances made in the area of vehicle system networking

We are adopting this megatrend of the automotive industry and will lay out our visions concerning innovative vehicular applications and driver assistance systems of the next generation at the eCarTec trade fair.

Holistic look at the carbon footprint of electric vehicles, using the example of the EDAG Light Car – Sharing

From an environmental point of view, the advantage of electric vehicles over conventional vehicles is that they do not emit any greenhouse gases while they are being used. Nevertheless, generating the energy needed to run them causes CO2 emissions.

In addition, it has been suggested among experts that the production of and logistics for the new technologies in electric vehicles result in far higher CO2 emissions.

As sufficient research has already been carried out on the subject of CO2 emissions from energy production, this is not to form part of the project; instead, the project study aims to produce an integrated, life cycle-oriented observation of CO2 emissions in the production and logistics of an all-electric vehicle.

The EDAG Light Car – Sharing was taken as the basis for this, and later on in the project, its data will also be used for the CO2 calculations.

The effects of a product on the ecosystem, in relation to energy used, emissions and the effects it has on the environment throughout its entire lifetime, and also ethical aspects are all measured. The classification is calculated with the support of software. The eco class label is geared to complex products, and improves comparability.

The EDAG Light Car – Sharing was taken as the basis for this, and later on in the project, its data will also be used for the CO2 calculations.

One Component – One Module – One Body – One Vision

A component, module, or even a complete, one-piece vehicle body produced in one single production process! Impossible? Current advances in additive manufacturing have brought what still sounds like Utopia one step closer to reality! Reason enough for EDAG, one of the leading engineering service providers in the automotive industry, to assess the status quo of additive manufacturing processes with a view to their industrial application for components, modules and complete vehicle bodies, and analyse a possible time frame.

With this latest exhibit EDAG presents a futuristic vehicle sculpture "EDAG GENESIS", which, using the example of a body structure, is designed to demonstrate the revolutionary potential of additive manufacturing. "EDAG GENESIS" is based on the bionic patterns of a turtle, which has a shell that provides protection and cushioning and is part of the animal's bony structure. The framework of the exhibit calls to mind a naturally developed skeletal frame, the form and structure of which should make one thing perfectly clear: these organic structures cannot be built using conventional tools! In the future, additive manufacturing could benefit designers and engineers by opening up enormous freedoms and new design options for development and production.